Sectional display for samples of sheet material

ABSTRACT

A sectional display for a number of samples of sheet material such as carpets, linoleum and the like consisting of sections having backs, rectangular in form with spaced flanges overlying and spaced from the backs to form grooves for the reception of the samples, the sections being connected together by means of cleats having openings therein adapted to receive headed pins issuing from the backs of the sections near the edges thereof, the pins being arranged in identical groups and the holes in the cleats corresponding therewith so that all of the cleats would be identical and the sections may be connected end-to-end and/or side-to-side.

United States Patent Brooks Feb. 15, 1972 {54] SECTIONAL DISPLAY FOR SAMPLES 3,47 1,959 10/1969 Seger ..40/125 X OF SHEET MATER AL I FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l t Sh ld B k [72] C Mmnealml's 1,212,875 10/1959 France ..40/152.1 [73] Assignee: Tri-State Displays, Inc., Minneapolis, 543,756 5/1956 Italy ..2l 1 I50 Minn.

. Primary Examiner-Edward C. Allen [22] filed 1969 Assistant ExaminerAbraham Frankel [2]] A N 848,820 Attorney-Wicks8zNemer [57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S.Cl ..2ll/45,40/l25,40/152 51] rm. c1. ..A47f 7/16 A sewonal display for a number of samples of Sheet mammal 58 Field of Search ..21 1/45, 50; 40/125 F, 125, Such as carpets, linoleum and the like consisting of Sections 40/152 152 1; 46/31, 29 having backs, rectangular in form with spaced flanges overlying and spaced from the backs to form grooves for the recep- 56] References Cited tion of the samples, the sections being connected together by means of cleats having openings therein adapted to receive UNITED STATES PATENTS headed pins issuing from the backs of the sections near the edges thereof, the pins being arranged in identical groups and 2,791,868 5/1957 Vrken ..46/30 the holes in the cleats corresponding therewith so that a" of 2,961,779 11/1960 Perry 3,070,914 1/1963 Henderson. 3 1 20,078 2/1964 Bessinger.

3,294,251 12/1966 Howell ..2l1/50X the cleats would be identical and the sections may be connected end-to-end and/or side-to-side.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures SECTIONAL DISPLAY FOR SAMPLES OF SHEET MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the display of carpets, linoleum, wood products, and the like it has been the custom to have the samples separate or in book form. Where numerous samples are employed the buyer frequently wants to refer back to a former sample and time is wasted in hunting for the same. With applicants invention the samples are all displayed and visible at one time and the time of examination is greatly reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Applicant has solved the difficulty of displaying the samples of carpets or other sheet material by providing a section of a display for each sample and construction for assembling two or more sections so that a number of the samples are visible at one time. The sections may be assembled end to end and/or side to side to form a composite group of sections. A complete line of products can be viewed at one time.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front view of a display illustrating an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a portion of the display shown in FIG. 1 and drawn to a greater scale than that used in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and drawn to the same scale as used in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1 and drawn to a scale greater than that used in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of one of the cleats of the invention drawn full size.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cleat taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and drawn full size.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on line 77 ofFIG. 2.

The invention comprises a display A which consists of a number of sections B each adapted to support a number of samples C of carpets, as an example. The sections B comprise backs 10 which are adapted to be attached to each other in edgewise or sidewise engagement by means of cleats 50.

The backs 10 of the sections B are platelike in form being rectangular and having transverse end edges 12 and 14 and longitudinal edges 16 and 18. These backs are molded from a plastic material and are somewhat compressible and bendable. To stiffen and reinforce the same two ribs 22 and 24 are provided which extend longitudinally of the back and are disposed inwardly of the longitudinal edges 16 and 18 of backs to leave areas 26 and 28 between the edges 16 and ribs 22 and the edges 18 and ribs 24.

In the areas 26 and 28 are disposed pairs 32 and 34 of pins 36 and 38. The pins 36 lie in lines perpendicular to the edges 12 and 14 of the backs l and the pins 38 lie along lines perpendicular to the edges 16 and 18 of the back. The pins 36 are the same distance apart and the outermost of said pins are located the same distance from the edges 12 and 14 of the backs. Likewise the pins 38 are located the same distance apart, this distance being the same as for the pins 36. Also the distance from the outermost pin of each pair and the adjoining edge of the back from which they issue is the same.

In addition to the pins 36 and 38, pins 39 are employed which are disposed midway between the ribs 22 and 24 and inwardly of the edges 12 and 14 of the backs 10 a distance equal to one-half the distance between the inner hole 62 of one pair of holes on cleat 50 and the outer hole 64 of the other pair of holes of said cleat.

The construction of the various pins 36 and 38 is the same and is best shown in FIG. 7. All of these pins are cast integral with the backs 10. Each of these pins is formed with a neck 42 in the form of a frustum of a cone extending outwardly therefrom and terminating in a spherical head 44. The diameter of neck 42 at the base thereof is substantially equal to the diameter of the head 44 thereof. The longitudinal dimension of the neck 42 is great enough so that an annular V-shaped groove 46 is formed which encircles the neck 42 at its juncture with the head 44.

Cooperating with the pins 36 and 38 are cleats 50. One of these cleats is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This cleat is constructed of the same material as the back 10 and is rectangular in form having rounded comers 52. This cleat is of uniform thickness substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension of the neck 42 of pins 36 and 38. In this cleat and along the longitudinal center line of the same are formed pairs of holes 54 and 56 each pair consisting of holes 64 and 62 in the shape of a frustum of a cone to fit the necks of the pins 36, 38 and 39.

The samples B are held attached to the front surface 72 of the backs 10 by means of flanges 74 which overlie the marginal portions 76 of said samples. These flanges are'in tegralwith webs 78 issuing from the backs 10 at the longitudinal edges thereof. The flanges 74 are arranged in relation with respect to said backs to firmly grip the samples and hold the same in position.

The method of using the invention is as follows. The samples are cut to the length of the back and to the width between webs 78. The samples so out are slid endwise into the grooves 82 formed between the flanges 74 and backs 10. When the desired number of samples have been mounted on the backs, the assemblies are inverted and arranged as shown in F IG. 2. It will be noted that the pins 36 of one section lie in alignment with the pins 36 of the adjacent section and the same with the pins 38. While the sections are so positioned the cleats 50 are placed over the pins with the surface 66 thereof facing the surface 68 of back 10 and pressed downwardly on the heads 44 of saidpins. This distorts the portions of the cleats 50 encircling the holes 36, 38 and 39 so that the heads 44 of pins 36, 38 and 39 pass through said holes and the necks 42 are received in the same as shown in FIG. 7.

The advantages of the invention are manifest. The samples can all be viewed at one time allowing the observer to quickly glance over the lot and choose the desired items. Where several samples are selected comparison of samples can be quickly made as the samples are all readily visible and no hunting for the earlier selected samples are needed. The sections are joinable at the transverse ends or the longitudinal edges. Also the sections are individually removable permitting the addition or removal of the same whereby a small or large group of sections may be created. The sections can be constructed at a low cost and are easily assembled or disassembled as desired. In addition the samples are effectively held upon the sections.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A sectional display for samples of sheet material comprising a plurality of backs a. rectangular in fonn and having b. longitudinal edges and c. transverse edges,

d. webs extending outwardly from said backs forwardly thereof and along the longitudinal edges of said backs,

e. flanges extending inwardly from the outer edges of said backs and toward one another to form facing grooves on each back for the reception of the material to be displayed f. said grooves being open at their ends for the endwise reception of the sheet material to be displayed g. ribs extending rearwardly from said backs at the rearward surface thereof to reinforce said backs and spaced from certain of the edges of the backs to form marginal areas at said edges,

h. pairs of spaced pins extending rearwardly outwardly from said backs along lines normal to the longitudinal and transverse edges of each of the backs, the axes of all of said pins being parallel i. said pins of each pair being the same distance apart and edge of the back which it adjoins, n. the pins on each back being disposed opposite a corresponding pin on an aligned adjacent back. I 2. A sectional display according to claim 1 in which: a. all of the pins are integral with the backs and b. the pins and backs are constructed of plastic material and c. all of the holes are in the cleats. 

1. A sectional display for samples of sheet material comprising a plurality of backs a. rectangular in form and having b. longitudinal edges and c. transverse edges, d. webs extending outwardly from said backs forwardly thereof and along the longitudinal edges of said backs, e. flanges extending inwardly from the outer edges of said backs and toward one another to form facing grooves on each back for the reception of the material to be displayed f. said grooves being open at their ends for the endwise reception of the sheet material to be displayed g. ribs extending rearwardly from said backs at the rearward surface thereof to reinforce said backs and spaced from certain of the edges of the backs to form marginal areas at said edges, h. pairs of spaced pins extending rearwardly outwardly from said backs along lines normal to the longitudinal and transverse edges of each of the backs, the axes of all of said pins being parallel i. said pins of each pair being the same distance apart and j. the outermost pin of each pair being the same distance from the edge of the back adjacent which it is disposed, k. a plurality of flat platelike cleats each having four spaced holes therein arranged along a straight line with l. the distance between each outer and its adjacent inner hole being equal to the distance between each pair of the pins and m. the distance between the pair of inner holes being equal to twice the distance between the outermost pin and the edge of the back which it adjoins, n. the pins on each back being disposed opposite a corresponding pin on an aligned adjacent back.
 2. A sectional display according to claim 1 in which: a. all of the pins are integral with the backs and b. the pins and backs are constructed of plastic material and c. all of the holes are in the cleats. 